EAST ST. LOUIS, IL. - Abdu Newby, 29, from Belleville, IL, was sentenced on December 19, 2011 in District Court in East St. Louis, IL, on one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine, the DEA announced today.

Newby was sentenced to 24 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Newby, who had previously pled guilty, admitted that he had purchased the crack with the intent to sell it for profit.

The investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task (OCDETF), with the Drug Enforcement Administration as the lead agency and the assistance of the Caseyville, IL Police Department.

The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations.